Rangers Most Realistic Offseason Moves: What Should and Shouldn't Happen

When the World Series ends, the wheeling and dealing begins. So, Texas Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young better be ready to roll.

By then Young should know what his budget will look like for 2027. He'll also know that a labor stoppage is on the horizon. Unless there's a miracle, Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association are on their way to another work stoppage one that would begin if there's no deal by Dec. 1. That gives Young roughly a month to make moves before business shuts down.

So, what should happen? What shouldn't happen? Let's take a stab at it.

Sign At Least One Starting Pitcher: Should

The Rangers have a starting rotation under contract plus left-hander Cody Bradford. But Young is on record as saying he needs eight for a season. And he's right. Aside from the five starters in the opening day rotation — Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, MacKenzie Gore, Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker, the Rangers used two other regular starters — Bradford and Cal Quantrill.

The only reason they didn't use an eighth was because Jordan Montgomery was used as a reliever instead of a starter. Texas has six experienced starting pitchers under contract going into 2027. There's a need to sign two more.

The easiest path would be to re-sign Montgomery and Quantrill. Both are good fits for what the Rangers want and could probably be had on relatively cheap deals. The bolder move would be to go after a group of pitchers that won't break the bank like two-time AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. Those could be pitchers like Tampa Bay’s Drew Rasmussen, Milwaukee's Freddy Peralta and San Diego's Casey Mize.

Entertain Trade Offers for Ezequiel Duran: Should Not

Earlier this offseason one of my colleagues wrote a piece that Ezequiel Duran’s trade value will never be higher than it is right now. It's a valid point. Duran is coming off a career season in which he slashed .260/.320/.419 with 17 home runs and 83 RBI. He made himself indispensable as a super utility player and there's a good chance next month, he'll be the AL’s Gold Glove winner and Silver Slugger winner at utility player.

Plus, the Rangers have him under two years of team control. Many teams would want Duran in trade. But the Rangers need him more than what they would get in return. Duran could be their starting second baseman on opening day or he could remain as their super utility player. Unless someone backs up a truck full of prospects or Major League ready players, the Rangers should politely say no thank you if anyone comes sniffing around for Duran.

Entertain Trade Offers for Corey Seager: Should

This is not a full-throated endorsement to trade Corey Seager. This is simply good business. Seager is the best asset the Rangers have on the roster. He has five years left on a massive contract. But he’s also a two-time World Series MVP who is one of the best sluggers in baseball when he’s healthy. That’s the rub — when he’s healthy. When he’s not, he hamstrings the Rangers’ lineup.

Trading Seager is complicated by the fact that he can now veto any trade. The Rangers would also need to get good value for Seager. This shouldn't be a prospects deal. Texas would be giving up a starting shortstop. The Rangers will need a starter in return, perhaps two, to make the deal work.

The Rangers would love to shed his payroll — under the right circumstances and if the deal accelerates the retooling of their roster.

Chase David Bednar: Should Not

This one seems logical but let's think it out. The Rangers already have an All-Star closer in Jacob Latz, but that wasn't supposed to be his role when the year started. In spring training, he competed with Kumar Rocker for the final job in the rotation. He went back to the bullpen and by May he was the closer.

He’s unique. He has a starter’s arsenal and can pitch more than an inning to get a save. Texas could decide to stretch Latz out again and let him compete for a starting job at spring training because his arsenal plays well there, too.

Bednar is the top of the market closer this time around. He’s the traditional right-handed power arm who works an inning and gets the job done. Signing him would free Latz up for other roles but it would also cost more than the Rangers want. Some “experts” are going to connect him to the Rangers. Don’t buy it. The Rangers aren’t either.

Add Starting Outfield Depth: Should

The Rangers have two problems in their outfield. One, Wyatt Langford can't stay healthy. Two, center fielder Evan Carter is a great defender, but his bat has not developed to the point where he can be a relied upon hitter against both right-handers and left-handers. Heck, he batted under .200 this season.

Young has made it his priority to get more competition on the Major League roster in 2027. No position needs it more than center field. The Rangers need to sign someone who can push Carter to either get better or move into a fourth outfielder role. Daulton Varsho is the type of player that can do that.

It would be smart for Texas to find an outfielder that has center field and left field flexibility in case Langford gets hurt again. Alejandro Osuna is a great option but the Rangers don't seem to trust him enough to make him a full-time starter. That's why adding an outfielder in free agency seems like something they should do.